President Uhuru Kenyatta urged to ignore those urging him to ignore ICC summons

Haki Africa executive director Hussein Khalid. He has urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to ignore politicians urging him to ignore ICC summons saying such a move would be tantamount to the violation of the Kenyan Constitution and a disregard of the rule of law. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• Haki Africa has said President Kenyatta’s failure to honour to the ICC summons would tantamount to violating the Kenyan Constitution.
• Hussein Khalid accused a section of Jubilee politicians of misleading the head of State.
• Parliament majority leaders Adan Duale and Kithure Kindiki are among senior Jubilee officials who have been saying the President should not honour ICC summons.
• Mr Khalid dismissed the two terming them as sycophants and merchants of impunity.

By GALGALO BOCHA
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A human rights organisation has asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to ignore politicians who are asking him not to appear at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

Haki Africa has said President Kenyatta’s failure to honour to the ICC summons would be tantamount to the violation of the Kenyan Constitution and a disregard of the rule of law.

The organisation’s executive director Hussein Khalid, speaking in Mombasa, accused a section of Jubilee politicians of misleading the head of State by misadvising him on the ICC summons.

“Not only are these utterances unfortunate and embarrassing coming from politicians who were democratically elected under the law but also a clear and blatant show of the impunity. The merits of attending court by far outweigh the demerits.”

“Already Kenya has shown it is committed to its international obligations by having Deputy President William Ruto attend court whenever required. It would be going against its word of cooperating with the court should the President decide to listen to the opinions of the misleading politicians,” said Mr Khalid.

DUALE AND KINDIKI

National Assembly majority leader Adan Duale and his Senate counterpart Kithure Kindiki are among senior Jubilee officials who have been saying publicly that President Kenyatta should not honour the ICC summons.

(READ: The President has nothing to gain by ignoring the ICC status conference)

However, Mr Khalid dismissed the two terming them as sycophants and merchants of impunity who are merely out to mislead the head of State for their own parochial interests.
“Kindiki is a lawyer of no mean repute and a senior legal scholar in the country. It is very disappointing to hear him making such utterances. It is very clear his utterances together with Mr Duale’s are nothing but political sycophancy meant to win political favours from the President,” Mr Khalid added.

He urged the Attorney General to play his role as required by the Constitution of Kenya and advise the President to fully adhere to terms and conditions set up by the ICC.

“We want the AG to come out clearly and advise politicians not to interfere with his work. As the legal advisor to the President, Kenyans will personally hold him responsible in case of failure by the President not to honour the court’s summon,” Mr Khalid said.